Picking Pallets off Ground with Pallet Stacker?

[alphamarcaphi]

Hi All,

Made a noob move and bought a 2nd pallet straddle stacker off ebay. I did not realize the unit doesn't not have the ability to pick pallets off the ground, only shelves, trucks ect...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/263197681475

After looking around at other used units, this seems like a common issue.

So what is the work around for this? Some type of platform to drop pallets onto? Only so much room for pallet racks.

 

[Delmer]

A pallet jack will lift them up high enough to set them down on blocks, then you can pick them up with the stacker and put on racks, or move around to other blocks.

I've heard a distinction of a "skid" being a pallet without bottom boards. A skid without a bottom, or a pallet with extra runner, will work with your stacker to. BTW, I think a "straddle" stacker will pick up a pallet off the ground because the legs are outside the pallet.

 

[crane operator]

Could you just put a second pallet under the one you want to move, that is- set your loaded pallet on a empty one? If you just made a row of empty pallets, you could drive the stacker into the empty pallet on each side, so you could stack everything tight together.

You'd need a bunch of empty pallets, but in my area they give them away just to get rid of them.

If you had the skids like delmer is talking about, you wouldn't even have to jump boards like you would with regular pallets.

 

[Delmer]

Sorry, I missed the link at first. That will pick up a pallet off the floor by the narrow dimension only, right? I was thinking of the old fashioned type with the base directly under the forks, NOT the straddle type like yours.

 

[hosspuller]

You might get a set of forks that extend lower than the existing forks. The issue then is wearing the fork heel by dragging it on the floor. (don't drag it on the floor)

Here's a link for non-standard forks

https://magnaforkliftforks.com/